


Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

by LorraineMarker



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Gen, Mild Language, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-02
Updated: 2011-05-02
Packaged: 2017-10-19 01:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/195257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LorraineMarker/pseuds/LorraineMarker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was more like a bad signal with too much static to make any sense. Loud bits and pieces that registered briefly as garbled nonsense; irritations that didn’t cause any harm. Long before Dee viewed the pilot as a rival, Starbuck simply either didn’t register or registered as a minor, albeit irritating, mystery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

“This Starbuck's viper?” Dee looked over the pristine bird appraisingly.

“Yes, Sir,” Chief said, then paused and amended, “At least, it's the bird she flew in. It's not the one she flew out. She's first flight perfect. This bird could have just come off the production line at Scorpia.”

Given the rumors, so could have Starbuck, or a resurrection ship. The idea left a sour taste in Dee's mouth. That Starbuck who'd saved them all so often, Starbuck who Adama loved, Starbuck who Lee loved might be a Cylon terrified Dee. No one remained rational about Starbuck, least of all either of the Adamas.

Even Dee’s own dislike wasn’t particularly rational. She’d admit that when pressed. Starbuck rubbed her the wrong way. It wasn’t so much dislike. It was more like a bad signal with too much static to make any sense. Loud bits and pieces that registered briefly as garbled nonsense; irritations that didn’t cause any harm. Long before Dee viewed the pilot as a rival, Starbuck simply either didn’t register or registered as a minor, albeit irritating, mystery. After the fall, when the fleet was all that remained, Starbuck got away with more. The more she got away with, the more she irritated Dee. Since New Caprica, Starbuck’s behavior got worse and Dee’s patience, stretched beyond tolerance, ended. She couldn’t understand her; didn’t want to understand her, her issues, or why she pushed. Months before Starbuck died or vanished or whatever it was she actually did Dee had wished she would just go away. That nebulous wish had left a niggling guilty feeling that transformed to fear as soon as she discovered that Starbuck had resurrected.

Cylon. Starbuck’s a Cylon. Dee didn’t care what Cottle said. She wasn’t anything close to Felix’s match in math and physics, but she understood enough to know Starbuck didn’t survive what she’d done; no human could have survived what she’d done.

 _We’re so screwed_.

“Admiral Adama wants me to check the viper for that signal Starbuck claims she hears.” She shrugged at Chief's raised eyebrow. _What the Admiral wanted…_

He grinned in acknowledgment … _the Admiral got_. Still grinning, a little sympathetically because everyone knew just how fiercely Lee argued about even locking Starbuck up, Chief asked, “You need any equipment, L-T?”

“I'm good, Chief.” She was. She didn't expect to find anything. Frankly, she thought that entire ‘we're going the wrong way’ thing was a crock of something that stank. Nonetheless, she'd come prepared. Tools, receivers, amplifiers, an RSSI, and replacement parts for every part of the viper's communications rig, Dee brought the works. She wanted to do this once, do it right, and not do it again.

Halfway through, she frowned, there was some odd background noise on a channel. With a sigh, she marked it. She’d have to come back and clean up the background to rule out a signal. Deep into her analysis, Felix’s voice announcing the jump warning startled her bringing her abruptly and completely out of her work. Quickly, she steadied herself for the jump. “Five – Four – Three – Two – One – Jump.” The odd stretch, then the snap and they were all somewhere else. A new place that no human eyes had seen before theirs, it should have felt exciting, maybe a little frightening, but in a good way. Not like this, quiet despair as they fled ever farther from the wreckage of the colonies, the wreckage of New Caprica, the wreckage of their last hopes.

 _Almost done_.

She detached the RSSI she had connected to the viper’s communication system already preparing her report to the Admiral, No signals, a bit of odd background noise, but not a signal.

~~~

 _I forgot to do something_. The thought rambled across Dee’s mind as she took off her watch. Silently, she began a list of things she might have forgotten.

“I need your help.”

Dee recognized the ragged voice immediately, _Starbuck! She’s supposed to be in the brig_. In her locker’s mirror, she saw Starbuck’s reflection. She stood behind her with an odd look of crazed anger combined with vulnerability. Unfortunately, in addition to breaking out, she’d managed to obtain a gun. Dee’s eyes glanced upwards towards her duty weapon secured on the locker’s top shelf. She’d never reach it in time.

“Why did you tell Adama there wasn’t a signal?”

“There wasn’t one,” Dee whispered, probably not the wisest response. She started moving her hand, not going for her gun, but maybe she could distract her with something.

“Yes there is, we’re going the wrong way and it’s weaker, but there’s a signal. You have to tell the Admiral the truth. Tell him you made a mistake, please I know you don’t like me, but please, Duella.”

 _Necklace, pictures, safety razor…why don’t I have any cosmetics: face powder, nail polish remover, something—anything that would work as a distraction. Where’s my belt? Maybe I could…_

“Are you listening to me?” Starbuck yelled waving the gun in Dee’s direction.

 _All right Plan A’s a wash, time for Plan B: humor the crazy pilot and hope she doesn’t kill you. If she does,_ Dee swore, _I am so haunting Lee Adama’s ass, the Admiral’s too._

“Yes,” she answered, “you want me to find the signal.”

“Yeah, yeah, I need you to find it so—”

A sudden thud cut off Starbuck’s voice. Dee whirled to find Starbuck slumping to the floor. Felix stood next to her holding a heavy binder in his left hand while the right twisted Starbuck’s wrist to force the gun away from Dee. She hadn’t even realized he was in his rack.

“Can you get the gun?” he asked firmly.

Dee shook her head silently; full body trembles starting as she watched them.

“Dee, get the gun!” sharp this time, a worried note just under the sharpness.

“Yeah,” she nodded, still shaky, “Yeah, I’ve got it, Felix.”

As soon as Dee had the weapon, Felix released Starbuck’s wrist to let her drop to the deck with a soft thump of flesh striking metal.

“Dee, you can have a case of the shakes later. Pull yourself together, secure that weapon, and call the marines.”

He knelt beside Starbuck.

“What did you hit her with?” Dee asked as she pulled the clip from the gun and checked that there wasn’t a round chambered. There was, going paler, she ejected the round from the chamber.

“ _F.T.L. Jump Drives Vergis Labs Series 3098.001 – 3098.508: Schematics, Troubleshooting, and Emergency Repairs_ ,” he answered, “It was the biggest binder I had.”

“Thank gods for you and your binders, index tabs and all.”

“Too bad it wasn’t a little heavier.”

“Felix?”

“She’s still breathing.”

“Felix!”

“Adama is not going to execute Starbuck and she’s a danger to everyone in the fleet.” He sat back on his haunches with a sigh. “Call the marines, Dee.”

~~~

 _Joe’s was nice_ , Dee thought, taking a large chug of the drink in front of her or possibly the drink in front of Felix, _Joe’s was fantastic_. “Best idea Lee ever had,” she said, coming up with something nice to say about her ex-husband.

“Dee?”

“Joe’s,” she explained, “It’s pretty much the best idea Lee ever had.” In the back of her mind she realized, _I’ve forgotten something_.

“You are going to regret stealing all my drinks in the morning.”

He was laughing at her. Still worried about whatever it was she’d forgotten, she let his laughter distract her.

“Didn’t steal **all** your drinks, only some of them, and some of Louis’s and some of Ishay’s, and I think one of Racetrack’s.” She only got part of Racetrack’s, because Racetrack was good at guarding her drinks. Louis and Felix would be better if Louis wasn’t so busy reassuring himself that Felix was okay and Felix wasn’t so busy reassuring Louis, that yes, in fact, he really, really was fine. It was all very sweet and cute. Dee cocked her head deciding her observation deserved sharing.

“They’re cute,” she yelled across the bar to Racetrack who was getting the next round. At Racetrack’s confused look she pointed to Louis and Felix and yelled louder, “Them, they’re really cute together.”

Racetrack convulsed with laughter. Somehow, she managed all five drinks between her two hands by clutching the handles of three beer mugs in her left and the two other drinks in her right as she wove her way back to the table. “You, girl, are shitfaced.”

 _True, which is probably why I’m forgetting whatever it is that I forgot_. She wasn’t too worried about it. Anything important she’d remember, or if she didn’t, then Felix would remind her or Tigh would yell about it.

Two beers moved from Racetrack’s hands to Louis and Felix’s, the two mixed drinks both landed in front of Ishay, while Racetrack settled into her chair retaining the third beer.

“Hey, one of those is mine.” Dee made a grab for one of the drinks.

“You have had enough, and I have had not nearly enough,” responded Ishay moving the drink.

Since her hand would have missed the drink by at least a few inches, Dee conceded that it was entirely possible that she might actually have had enough. Besides, Felix and Louis both giggled reminding Dee they were cute together and possibly not everyone already knew. She stood on her chair, swaying. “Hey, everyone, Felix and Louis are together and they’re really cute!”

Felix had drunk just enough that instead of burying his face in his arms he buried it into Louis’s shoulder, proving Dee’s point that they were cute together.

Still swaying, Dee pointed at them energetically waving her entire arm in the process, “See, really cute.”

Suddenly, she remembered what she’d forgotten; it was about Starbuck and the signal. Gleefully, she tried to hop off the chair. She went a little too far to the right and lost balance. Hands grabbed her two on her waist and one caught a shoulder steadying her until her feet were on the ground. She looked up at Sam and Lee. Starbuck and the signal vanished once more from memory. She needed to tell them, “Hey, Sam, Lee, have you noticed—Felix and Louis are really—”

“—Cute together,” Sam finished for her.

“Yeah!” She felt so cheerful now, that she forgave them for adoring Starbuck. Actually, they looked cute, too. “Hey,” she informed everyone of her new revelation in a cheerfully loud voice, “You two would be a cute couple, too. Not forever, but you know until the crazy Cylon Starbuck in the brig gets her act together, you could be like a couple and if she does get it together then you could have hot threesome sex.”

Felix shot beer out his nose in a foot and a half trajectory across the table as he swallowed, gasped, and laughed simultaneously. Over Racetrack and Ishay’s complaints about the beer, he said, “Excuse us, Major, Dee’s had a rough day with, uh, Starbuck nearly killing her. We really need to get her back to the barracks.”

Louis took her right arm and Felix her left. “No you don’t, I’m off duty tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes, we do.”

“Besides Tigh’s my direct superior and it’s not like he’s in the position to dress me down for getting drunk.” She realized she’d forgotten that thing—again.

“And that level of honesty, Dee, is exactly why we need to get you back to the barracks,” Gaeta explained succinctly.

“But I forgot something.”

“You don’t need your drink.”

“Not that.”

“You can check off embarrassing me, Louis, Apollo, and Longshot off your list.”

“Also, insulting the XO,” added Louis, who as the least drunk was guiding them.

“Something else.”

“Really.”

“Did I ask you about hot threesome sex?” She knew that wasn’t what she’d forgotten, but if she hadn’t asked, then she should have and wanted to make sure she had that covered.

“Early in the evening, Dee, you wanted the middle; later you asked again and offered to let me have the middle.”

“Yeah, Felix, that would be fun, but no, it’s not that.” She frowned, worried, really she had forgotten something.

“Bed, Dee, you forgot that you need sleep,” Louis said firmly guiding her to her rack. Hands pulled off her boots and belt leaving her to sleep in tanks and her pants. Restlessly she tossed around on her rack, that wasn’t it either.

~~~

She woke in the middle of the night. Hung over, in medical begging Ishay for an aspirin, Dee finally remembered what she’d forgotten. “The damned channel, I never went back and cleared out the noise off that channel to check for an underlying signal,” she muttered.

Dee swallowed the aspirin dry, the bitterness almost soothing when it cut through the something died in her mouth taste left by the liquor she’d drunk. Reluctantly, she headed back for the equipment room. She didn’t like it, but she knew if she didn’t double check then it would haunt her.

 _Static, more static, noise_. Dee slowly adjusted the viper’s receiver to the questionable channel. _There, something…this wasn’t going to work in the viper_.

It wasn’t that hard to remove a comm unit from a viper assembly. Three couplings, eight screws and the entire unit popped out. She grabbed the unit with one hand before removing the last screw. She wasn’t making Figurski’s mistake, he’d gotten his nose broken once when one popped out onto his face.

Another hand came slid in next to hers. “You know, you don’t have to do this,” Gaeta told her.

“Yes, I do.”

“You don’t have to do it alone.”

Dee finished removing the last screw. “No, I suppose I don’t.” She let Gaeta take most of the weight of the unit carefully shifting out from under the viper.

Two hours later, the communications rig had three signal boosters, four filters, and an RSSI attached. Gaeta had machine oil covering both arms from fingertips to elbows and streaks across his right cheek. Dee also had machine oil covering her arms, both tanks and she felt certain some had landed in her hair. Couplings, fittings, screws, snipped wires, and the other detritus of their improvised improvements to the unit’s receiver lay scattered around them in semi-circles that the Chief’s crew carefully avoided, because the two times someone had managed to stumble through it Gaeta snapped something in Ancient Gemenese unintelligible to anyone other than a really well trained priest, but clearly virulent.

His two small outbursts seemed to settle Gaeta down. Dee didn’t get the same relief, she couldn’t express the combination of frustration and anger as they slowly closed in on the strange oscillation. They’d given up hoping that it was simple space noise an hour ago after attaching the last filter and having it settle into a definitive pattern. It never completely settled. Signal strength improved and got worse. Twice it hit a full ten bar signal on the RSSI, sometimes it faded to nothing, mostly wavering between one and three bars. Even the oscillation pattern varied subtly.

Tiredly, Gaeta looked at her. “It’s a signal trace. That’s why it keeps fading. Every time we move, we get closer or further away from the source. We need to take it out and try to triangulate.”

“The Admiral will want us to take Starbuck.”

“Lovely, I really should have found something heavier.”


End file.
